The Gauger's Share
In the early 18th-century, hidden throughout the Scottish Highland glens, thousands of stills operated in quiet defiance of the excise tax law. It was the job of the excise men—the gaugers—to hunt them down.
In 1823 alone they detected 14,000 illicit stills. These Crown officers were feared and despised in equal measure, traversing remote glens and mountain passes in search of the tell-tale smoke of hidden distilleries.
Lore has it some of the finest whisky were not destroyed, but confiscated… The Gauger's Share.
Whether the gaugers truly kept the best for themselves, we'll never know. But the idea—that there exists a hidden collection of Scotland's finest spirits, tucked away from the world—is the inspiration behind everything we do.
Who Were the Gaugers?
The word “gauger” comes from the French “jauge”—to measure. In Scotland, gaugers were excise officers appointed by the Crown to measure, assess, and tax the whisky produced by licensed distillers. They also hunted down the vast underground network of illicit stills.
Perhaps the most famous gauger of all was Robert Burns, Scotland's national poet, who served as an exciseman from 1789 until his death in 1796. Burns understood both sides of the equation—the law and the spirit.
Our name, The Gauger's Share, parallels “The Angel's Share”—the portion of whisky that evaporates during maturation. While the angels take their share through the pores of the oak, we like to think the gaugers took theirs through the warehouse door.
The Flight Experience
We think whisky is best enjoyed with friends sampling a trio of pours side by side—as a ‘flight’. The synergy from a flight elevates the experience by exposing how variations in age, wood, or process shape the flavour, aroma, and sensations that make whisky a unique spirit.
Each of our flight packs contains three carefully selected 20cl bottles of single malt Scotch whisky, chosen to illuminate a specific theme: distillery character, wood finish, or wine cask influence. Together, they tell a story that no single bottle can.
Our Approach
We are independent bottlers, which means we source exceptional casks directly from Scotland's distilleries and bottle them under our own label. This gives us the freedom to select only the expressions that meet our exacting standards.
Every cask is tasted, assessed, and chosen for its ability to contribute to a flight—to complement, contrast, and illuminate. We don't chase volume; we chase character.
Based in Kirkwall, Orkney, we are surrounded by the whisky-making traditions that have shaped Scotland's spirit for centuries. From our bonded warehouse, we draw these remarkable drams and share them with you.